Packing boxes are widely applied for holding, storing and transporting articles. The articles are produced at a manufacturing site, where they generally are packed into the packing box in dedicated packing lines. Subsequently they are usually shipped to a location where the articles will be distributed. In between packing and shipping, and in between shipping and distribution the packing boxes with articles may be stored and/or change from transportation means to another. The packing boxes should therefore be well suited for packing, transportation and handling. So-called Regular Slotted Case (RSC) packing boxes are widely available that are very well suited for this purpose and that are widely used. These boxes have circumferential side panels and flaps at both ends of each side panel, which can be folded in for closing the packing box at both ends. A large number of filling stations are available for packing products or articles in such RSC packing boxes.
It has become customary to display the packing box or part of the packing box with articles in, for instance, a super market. Customers can take the articles directly from the packing box. Packing boxes have been proposed specifically for this purpose. However, they usually appear quite damaged when put up for display with the products. Especially the viewing side of a display part of such packing boxes does not present a clean viewing side when put up for display.
Further, packing boxes that are designed to allow to put up products for display in the packing box are not well suited for packing, storing and transportation of products or articles in the packing box. Such packing boxes prove not to be suited for handling in the filling stations of RSC type packing boxes, and require dedicated and costly machinery for forming and filling them with articles. Packing boxes designed to allow to put up articles (products) up for display are mostly assembled out of two parts requiring two forming machines. Therefore, there is a need for an improved packing box that can also be very well used for displaying products.
FR 2 748 726 A1 discloses a packing box having side panels determining a circumference and opposing ends of the packing box and having flaps configured for closing both ends. However, the packing box disclosed does not present tear lines and is not configured for removing a part of the packing box to present a display part. Even if one would add tear lines, one would not obtain a display part of the packing box that presents a clean viewing side and that would allow an efficient separation of parts of the box to provide a display part.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,021 B1 discloses a packing box having tear lines allowing to remove a part of the box so as to leave a display part. The tear lines are arranged such that they clearly show during display, so that the display part does not present a clean display face. The tear lines, for instance, pass over the front or viewing side of the packing box, which would result in a damaged presentation of a display part of the box.